1.
Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance
I was fortunate enough to catch this one soon after its initial release at an arthouse theater in Nashville, TN. As soon as the screening ended, I wanted to watch it twice over again. Michael Keaton gives one of the single greatest lead acting performances I have ever seen; far and away superior to any of the other potential candidates in the Best Actor category. Watching a man wrestle with his own ego has rarely, if ever, been done so gracefully and entertainingly. It achieves a level of higher mainstream art in a bit of a tongue-in-cheek way that must be seen several times and discussed to be believed.
2.
Whiplash
Ever had a professor you just never could get along with? Did that professor ever hurl a chair at your head? Well, that's just one of the nasty methods of the venomous Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a professor of studio jazz at a prestigious New York City music conservatory. The student, Andrew (Miles Teller), desires to be one of the best jazz drummers of all time. Fletcher sees his potential, which is why he seems to exact such harsh methods in his teaching. Watching Teller and Simmons go at it in this indie gem is more electrifying than any studio thriller of the past few years. Rookie director Damien Chazelle gets nearly everything right in terms of what to include/cut for the purposes of a more impactful message. The heart-pounding ending leaves just enough to the imagination. Now one of my top 10 favorites not just of 2014 but of all time.
3.
Boyhood
Like
Birdman,
Boyhood achieves some higher art by way of its 12-year experiment. Director Richard Linklater spent a week filming with the same cast each year for 12 years. Steve James used a similar technique in his documentary,
Hoop Dreams, but it's never been applied to a dramatic feature film before.
Boyhood is literally three hours of watching a kid grow up from the age of 6 to 18. What's so interesting about it is that the film is almost a perfect representation of the attitudes that American kids (particularly my age) felt growing up: awkward talks with grown-ups, being indecisive about what to do with the rest of one's life, trying to fake a fever to keep from going to school, riding bikes in the street, going to baseball games, etc. It's the most realistic and relatable coming-of-age film that Hollywood has ever produced.
4.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director Wes Anderson's masterpiece about a pair of maitre d's (Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori) who steal a prized painting is hilarious, violent, and unpredictable. A must see.
5.
The Babadook
A hot topic in the industry today is how there aren't enough good female directors. If this first feature from Australian director Jennifer Kent is any indication, the future of the business looks bright.
The Babadook is about a woman (masterfully played by Essie Davis) and her young son who are struggling to cope with the loss of their patriarch. More than that, the film focuses on the difficulties of coping and what it takes to overcome those demons. This is the rare horror film that actually deals with true fear; the fear of being alone or abandoned. A lack of cheap jump scares and a penchant for real, slow-burn terror easily make this the best frightfest in at least a decade.
6.
Foxcatcher
An intriguing true story about Olympic medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and the chemicals mogul who mysteriously chose to back him, John E. DuPont (Steve Carell). This is a bleak tale that feels tailor-made for David Fincher but still manages to enthrall in director Bennett Miller's hands. Carell steals the show in a career-changing performance. His DuPont deserves to be in the conversation for all-time greatest movie villains.
7.
The Lego Movie
A concept that, on paper, shouldn't work has more imagination in its tiny, yellow hand than anything that mainstream Hollywood has produced in years. It captures the same sense of creativity that I remember having whenever I played with Legos in my formative years. This film is a blast, and it's a crime that the Academy snubbed this from the Best Animated Feature category.
8.
Fury
Not since
Saving Private Ryan has a war film portrayed the horrors of combat in such a harrowing way. Graphic and visceral with unforgettable action sequences and strong performances from Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman. The level of authenticity is to be appreciated as well. This is a film about WWII tanks, so it's only appropriate that real M4 Sherman tanks are used throughout the production.
9.
The Theory of Everything
Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are wonderful in this story about the relationship between Jane and Stephen Hawking. Watching Hawking's slow deterioration at the hands of ALS is tragic and suddenly makes all those Ice Bucket Challenge videos a lot less interesting.
10.
Gone Girl
Like the popular novel, the film features a similarly maddening ending, but it's one of the closest "book-to-film" adaptations I've ever seen. Ben Affleck gives the performance of his career, and Rosamund Pike is a force to be reckoned with as Amy.
